The present invention relates to automated meter reading and control, and more particularly to systems and methods for automated utility resource measurements, data collection and exercise of control and notification.
Automated meter reading for consumption rate of different utility resources such as water, gas or electricity has become more desirable compared to the methods using meters that require manual reading and recording of the consumption levels. One type of automated xe2x80x9clocalxe2x80x9d means of collecting meter reading requires an operator to be in close physical proximity of the meter to obtain the meter reading (touch read) and transporting the data to a central computer.
Another type of automated meter reading is based on collection of data by telephone lines or radio transmission. The meter reading, in both cases, may be collected through the phone lines connected to the meter (phone read) or communicated to a portable hand-held computer. The radio based meters, such as those provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,652,877 and 4,782,341 issued to Gray and currently assigned to the present assignee, incorporated herein by reference, were more widely used since the reading could be collected as an operator drove by the meter (drive-by system), or in combination with the touch read system, be read manually. The radio read is particularly desirable in areas where the meter, specifically the water meter, is inside a pit at a distance from the building and away from a power source. However, in such systems, the antenna was disposed outside of the meter and was hardwired to the mechanical register through the meter housing so the signals passing from the register to the RF transmitter were not wireless.
However, the collected data from each utility meter must be transported to a central computer and compiled for billing, statistical or any other services that the utility companies may provide to their customers. Each of the aforementioned automated meter reading techniques still requires a large amount of manpower and is susceptible to errors in entry and transportation of data. Moreover, the utility companies cannot exercise any control or provide notifications to their customers without using additional manpower, cost and potentially less reliable means of communication.
To date, water meters have operated on the basis of a mechanical odometer, with electronic reading of the odometer wheels. The mechanical encoder concept has been thought to offer improved performance over pulse counting systems, particularly where the meter is physically separate from the counting device.
Consequently, a need exists for an improved data collection system for remote meter devices, such as gas, water, and electric meters.
The present invention addresses the need for an improved data collection system for remote meter devices, such as gas, water, and electric meters. The present invention accomplishes this, in part, by enabling RF communication, preferably bi-directional communication, between a meter and an interface device, as described herein.
Applicants recognized that the mechanical encoder having limited functionality in water and gas meters has a limited future. Applicant also recognized that improved functionality may be provided at lower cost by manufacturing an integrated register and RF transmitter, as opposed to manufacture them as separate products. Further, combination of the encoding register and RF transmitter permit sharing of hardware, which reduces hardware and manufacturing cost.
The invention includes a meter for collecting and communicating flow data for a commodity including a liquid, a gas, or electricity transported via a metered system, using wireless data transfer, the meter including a housing, a sensor for sensing a resource flow rate, and a register for registering data input thereto, the register including a processor for processing data input thereto. A wireless transmitter is also provided for outputting the sensed data from the meter or receiving instruction information from an interface external to the meter, which receives data output from the meter and/or outputs instruction information to the meter. The sensor, the processor, and the wireless transmitter are disposed within the housing.
The invention may be embodied within a networked, web enabled, electronic measurement and control system that will link users and utility service providers to residential and commercial/industrial energy meters. Through wireless communication and low power communications modules, electronic solid state utility meters transmit meter reading data to an interface device, which in turn communicates bi-directionally with a master station. The interface device transmits information and control signals received from the master station through a network server to other electronic modules in the building for additional user interface.
One aspect of the present invention relates to electronic water and/or gas meters with integrated wireless communication modules, preferably powered by an internal battery. The meters obtain data related to consumption rate of the utility resource and transmit RF data periodically to receiving devices. The periodical transmission of data reduces power consumption of internal circuits.
Another aspect of the present invention, as may be applied to water and gas meters, includes a processor which receives data in the form of a pulse count from the sensed forward rotations of the magnetic sensor, prepares the data for transmission, enables the transmitter circuitry to transmit the data at specified intervals, and supports a programming interface without missing pulses.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of collecting and transmitting utility resource consumption data from multiple meters to an interface device. The method further comprises transmission of the collected data to a master station. The master station further processes the collected data and transmits informational and control data back to the interface device.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method and software for receiving consumption data from a plurality of meters in an interface device, reading the received data and performing programming and diagnostic functions. The interface device communicates with a master station as well as with various electronic modules inside the building through wireless transmission. A clock controls the intervals for performing different functions as determined by the program code and time stamps the received data that is then stored in a memory device.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to an interface device integrated with an electricity meter, which provides the needed power for operation of the interface device. In this configuration, consumption data from the electricity meter is directly transferred to the interface device. The interface device further passes to the master station the consumption data received directly from the electricity meter and through wireless transmission from other meters.
An advantage of the invention is in providing a completely automated and reliable meter reading by an integrated system that has flexible capabilities to accommodate future enhancements and functions as desired by the user.
Another advantage is in fully electronic registers and indexes for water and gas meters that have essentially no moving parts and are capable of wireless transmission of the meter readings.
Another advantage is in providing communication means approximate to the electricity meter for receiving meter reading data from one or more of a plurality of utility meters and transmitting the collected data to a master station.
Yet another advantage is to transmit from the master station control and notification signals as well as meter reading data to the communication means which in turn may transfer the received data to additional electronic modules in the building.
A still further advantage of the invention is to integrate data collection from a plurality of meters in a master station without need for transportation and entry of reading data for each meter.
Additional advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.